Blueberry Marketing Solutions | All you Need to Know About the Rising Cost of Living

Angela Kunawicz 19th April 2022

All you Need to Know About the Rising Cost of Living

UK INFLATION is rising at its fastest rate in 30 years as fuel, energy and food costs continue to soar. Read Blueberry’s blog on the rising cost of living and discover our tips on how you can manage your finances.

RAC fuel spokesman, Simon Williams, said that March 2022 would go down in the history books as one of the worst months ever when it comes to pump prices. The average cost of a litre of unleaded petrol increased by 11.62p, ending the month at 163.28p per litre. While diesel prices rocketed to 22.06p a litre, finishing March at £177.29p

Firms have faced higher energy and shipping costs since Covid restrictions were lifted, which have been passed on to consumers. In addition, Russia is one of the world’s largest oil exporters and demand for oil from other producers has increased since the invasion of Ukraine, leading to higher prices.

“Without question, these figures show in the starkest possible terms just how much fuel prices are contributing to the cost-of-living crisis which will be affecting households up and down the country,” said Mr Williams.

Blueberry’s Fuel Saving Tips:

Does your employer run a cycle to work scheme? With Cyclescheme, which is partnered by The University of Leeds, hire a bike from over 2,000 retailers and pedal its value down. You pay nothing upfront; payments are taken from your salary. 
Ever considered car sharing? Two or more people travel together for all or part of a trip. Passengers then contribute towards the driver’s fuel costs.

CEO of E-On UK, Michael Lewis, said: “Everyone, whatever their age group, wants a comfortable home that’s easy to heat and we know improving a home’s energy efficiency is the most effective way to help lower energy use and bills, and help the country act for the climate. “Heat pumps, and other sustainable technologies, are crucial tools to help to reduce the emissions from heating our homes and to make sure we are less reliant on foreign gas supplies in the future.”

Blueberry’s Energy Saving Tips: 

Fill up the basin when doing the washing up rather than leaving the tap running and you could save £25 per year. Swap one bath a week for a 5-minute shower to save up to £20 a year on your gas bill. 
Replacing your shower head with a water-efficient one could save a four-person household as much as £38 a year on gas for water heating and £53 a year on water bills (if you have a water meter).

“Consumer confidence has fallen significantly in recent months, as worries around personal finances rise,” said Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium. “Households face a plethora of rising costs, with higher inflation to come as the increase in the energy price cap pushes up April’s figures. Retailers are not exempt from these pressures, as the costs of transport, energy, raw materials, and staff wages all continue to rise.”

By reusing or recycling fashion, we can prevent textiles from ending up in landfills. In 2020, H&M collected 18, 800 tonnes of unwanted clothes and textiles through its Garment Collecting programme. That’s the equivalent of 94 million T-shirts. The retailer accepts old clothes or textile donations from shoppers. The fabrics are then split into three categories – re-wear, reuse or recycle.

Blueberry’s Savvy Shopping Tips:

Donate a bag of unwanted clothes to H&M to receive a money off voucher for your next purchase.
Take five empty beauty containers (that can’t be recycled) to a Boots recycle bin and get 250 Advantage Card points, worth £2.50, when you spend £10 or more.

Food waste will rise by a third by 2030, when 2.1 billion tons will either be lost or thrown away, according to Too Good to Go. That’s equivalent to 66 tons per second. Reduce food wastage by creating a weekly meal planner, searching for left-over food recipe inspiration online and freezing food close to its best-before-date.

Blueberry’s Food Saving Tips:

Fight food waste and get something delicious in return. Download the Too Good To Go app to connect to stores and restaurants that have unsold food. Pick up a Magic Bag of random surplus stock at a fraction of the retail price. 
Olio is a free community sharing app, that connects neighbours and local businesses. Surplus food is then given away, not thrown away. Unwanted household items can be donated, and you can also buy and sell homemade food and crafts.

Check out ‘How to Save like a Pro’ for Blueberry’s top ten money saving tips.

Disclaimer: The information & tips in Blueberry’s Cost-of-Living package is intended as a guide. Nothing in the pack is to be taken as gospel. Any reliance you place on the info is up to you peeps.

Written By Angela Kunawicz

Angela is an award winning journalist, videographer and marketeer who has worked in regional and international media outlets across the UK and Middle East, including the BBC and Abu Dhabi Media Company. With a flair for human interest stories, hard news and campaigns, she has also been commended for her outstanding photography and video productions.

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